Operations Manager - the importance of managing rotas and scheduling

Posted on 10th July 2018 at 12:01

Among the many roles of a manager in a business, one of the most important is managing rotas and scheduling the staff. After all, you can’t complete work without any workers. It’s vital that you put thought into the rotas and scheduling process and treat your staff professionally.

Function

Scheduling staff creates an order and a flow to your business. Everyone knows when they’re supposed to work, which allows them to focus on their job. Proper scheduling ensures the important tasks are covered at appropriate times.

Benefits

Proper scheduling allows a boss to determine how well the work gets done and by whom. He could team up workers of equal strength, or put a superior worker with a weaker one. It all depends on the contract/assignment requirements.

Time Frame

Managers should schedule their staff days, weeks, or months in advance, depending on the job. It also depends on how many part-time workers the company has.

Considerations

Be flexible when finding out what days staff members would like to be off in advance of scheduling if your employees have to work on weekends. Some employees may want to be off on a particular day to observe a religious holiday or for a family commitment, for example. Set a policy so employees must give a certain amount of advance notice for time off such as vacations.

Keeps Costs Under Control

A well developed schedule also allows you to manage your contract costs more efficiently. When developing the schedule, you can list the estimated cost required to complete each contract then calculate the total cost of the cover.

Preparation for Unexpected

Another benefit of planning and scheduling is that your company is better prepared in case of an unexpected occurrence compared with not outlining a plan ahead of time. A thorough plan contains multiple solutions—one as the main course of action and the rest as backups to that preferred option. If the unexpected occurs, you can then default to "Plan B" and continue seamlessly throughout the contract .As the nature of the business we are in relies on a high percentage of Ad hoc cover managing your rotas effectively means knowing what extra cover you have available at any time should you need it.

If you'd like further information, or to discuss any security requirements within your business please contact Dan Mottram on 07528 667034 or email daniel.mottram@whitestarsecurity.co.uk